


Sunglasses after Dark

by AssistedRealityInterface



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2018-01-15 01:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1286269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssistedRealityInterface/pseuds/AssistedRealityInterface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Melinda and Grant both favor aviators as their sunglasses of choice. This tends to lead to a few mix ups.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunglasses after Dark

**Author's Note:**

> I mostly just loved the idea of them stealing each other's aviators until they couldn't tell which belonged to each other anymore, so I wrote this. It's short and sweet and simple! Enjoy!

Melinda rolled over in bed and went to turn off her alarm, grumbling in annoyance as she fiddled with the button.

The ringing of the alarm fell silent as quickly as it had come. Melinda sighed in relief, letting her body relax before she turned over and went to grasp her sunglasses.

Her hand closed around empty air.

She frowned, moving her hand slowly across the desk. Did they fall off? They must have.

Melinda sat up and looked over the edge of her bed, only to be greeted by complete darkness. She frowned and rubbed her temples.

Nothing. What on earth…

She rolled over to look at the other side of the bed with a frown. Ward was gone already, but he’d left a note.

“ _There’s coffee on in the kitchen. I love you! Join me when you’re dressed? I’ll be in the cockpit. –G.”_

Melinda sighed and smiled, shaking her head and getting out of bed, putting a leather jacket on over the tee shirt she’d slept in. She sniffed the sleeve and frowned. Ward’s, then. Ah, well. It didn’t matter. His jacket was soft and worn, and it felt nice to wear something of his.

She pulled on a pair of black pants and tucked them into her boots, making her way into the kitchen and pouring a cup of tea first and foremost. She sat in the kitchen quietly, sipping her tea and centering herself, breathing in and out slowly as she relaxed in complete silence.

She brought her cup of coffee and two helpings of cereal into the cockpit. She sat down, put the bowls of cereal down, took her cup of coffee, and checked their coordinates.

It took her about ten minutes before she glanced over to Ward and caught his eye. He beamed, pushing his awfully familiar aviator sunglasses down his nose to grin at her.

“You little brat,” Melinda said, her voice warm. “Give those back. Don’t you have your own pair?”

“Sure do,” he said, taking them off and leaning over to put them slowly over her eyes. “But I like yours. They’re nice. And they make me feel safe. Wearing something of yours, I mean.”

He glanced down at her leather jacket. “I see you agree.”

She gave him a dirty look and said nothing. Ward just kissed her, slow and warm and sweet as he settled the aviators over her nose.

“My love,” he murmured, getting up and letting her pilot, taking his bowl of cereal with him. Melinda sighed and rolled her eyes, but adjusted her aviators with a smile as she reached for the radio to call in a refuel.

…

Ward awoke and rolled over in bed with a soft grunt. Another hotel bed; never as soft, never as warm, and they never smelled like home. Home was Melinda’s lavender soap and rosehip tea soaking into the sheets, and the dent in their mattress from where they both slept.

He reached out his hand to grab his sunglasses off the table and frowned as they skimmed simple, plain wood.

Ward sat up and peeked over the bed. No sign of the sunglasses on the floor, either.

He huffed and shook his head, getting up and out of bed and shuffling towards the shower. He dropped his pants and climbed in, yawning widely as hot water massaged his back.

“Melinda?” he called. “Melinda? You in there?”

No reply. Ward huffed. She must’ve gone to check on the Bus, let him sleep in.

His heart surged with love as he washed himself down as quickly as he could, scrubbing his body and throwing a towel over his shoulders, making his way out into the hotel room and toweling his body off before he pulled his pants on, threw all their things into their bags, and left the hotel.

Ward walked the few blocks towards the nearby S.H.I.E.L.D. base, climbing the stairs inside with a little hum and onto the roof, heading onto the Bus. He made his way into the cockpit without a word and sat down next to Melinda.

“Refuel go well?” he said.

“Yes, it did,” she said. “Victoria happened to be at this base today. We agreed to meet up together for drinks in a week—all four of us.”

“That’s great,” Ward said with a nod. “That’s nice. I’m happy for you, Mel.”

He reached over and kissed her cheek, nuzzling it and letting his stubble stroke her skin.

“ _Give them back,”_ he whispered, just as soft as his lips on her earlobe.

Melinda laughed, leaning over to press her lips against the shell of his ear.

“ _No,”_ she breathed in his ear, sensual and soft enough to make him shiver. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, leaving a wine-red lip print on his skin.

He smiled and got up, taking her aviators out of her back pocket and putting them on as he let her pilot their plane in peace.

…

The next morning, the two of them snuggled close together and breathed in the warm scent of each other’s bodies sealed against each other in a tangle of limbs neither of them could discern well enough to identify as their own. Melinda pressed a kiss against his shoulder as he buried his face in her hair and inhaled the warm, fresh scent of her.

“You’re still a mess,” Melinda murmured, yawning widely. “Last night took a lot out of you, huh?”

“Shut up,” Ward mumbled as she laughed and kissed his forehead.

“Darling,” she breathed in his ear. “My darling. Shower together?”

“Why not?” he said, rolling over and taking her with him, settling her smaller body atop his. She pressed a kiss to his lips and breathed in the feel of him, her tongue meeting his as she sucked lightly on his own, getting the taste of him in her mouth before pulling away with a little pop.

“What, no morning breath complaints?” Ward said with a grin. Melinda kissed his nose.

“You don’t smell that bad, I promise,” she told him, stroking his cheek. “Come on. Up, Ward. Shower.”

He lifted her up and carried her into the bathroom, setting her down on the sink before he turned the hot water on and took her back into his arms, kissing her neck and shoulders as she moaned and shivered.

“We took a shower to get clean,” she reminded him as he carried her into the shower and held her close.

“Did we? I hadn’t noticed,” Ward said, licking a stripe up her neck. “After. We’ll be clean after.”

Melinda protested once or twice vaguely before she pulled him close and nipped his lower lip, drawing him closer.

The two of them managed to get out of the shower eventually and lay back down on the bed, warm and steaming. Ward pressed kisses into her shoulder as she wriggled and sighed in pleasure.

“My love,” he murmured, rubbing her back and straddling her hips. “You’re beautiful.”

“I appreciate it,” she said with a yawn. “But we really ought to get dressed, mm?”

“We could spend the whole day in bed,” Ward said, “if you wanted. The whole day. Kissing and touching and stroking and sleeping—“

“You need to eat,” Melinda said with a grimace as she stretched her back. “And so do I. Up, puppy.”

He grumbled and got off of her, letting her get dressed as he watched the fabric slide over her shoulders and cover her beautiful bare back.

He turned around to put on his own clothes and frowned. “Are those _my_ aviators?”

“Mm? I don’t know,” Melinda said, checking the sunglasses on his night stand with a frown. “I can’t…tell.”

“Oh, crap,” Ward mumbled, pulling his pants on. “You got yours on your night stand?”

“No idea,” Melinda said with a sigh. “Look, they fit my face. You just…wear the ones on your side.”

“This is ridiculous,” he said, putting the aviators on his night stand on after he threw a tee shirt on.

“You’re the one who stole mine,” Melinda said. “You started this.”

He grumbled something and kissed her before going to find Skye and make sure she went and did her training. Melinda just sighed and went to start breakfast for the both of them; as she heard everyone else getting up and moving about, she sighed and amended that to the entire Bus.

“Do these look like Ward’s to you?” she asked Phil as he came into the room, gesturing to the aviators perched on top of her forehead.

He looked at them for a few long seconds and sighed, shaking his head and going to get his newspaper.

“You’re not helping!” Melinda shouted back. He waved her off and opened his newspaper, making sure it obscured his face before he started to grin.

…

Melinda sighed and stretched out in bed by herself that night with a soft yawn, rolling around in bed a bit before closing her eyes. She’d bid Ward goodnight, and though she’d seen the flash of hurt in his eyes before he bent down to kiss her forehead, she just…

Melinda frowned. She’d wanted space about ten minutes ago. Now? Her bed felt empty, and in a way that made her chest ache.

She sighed and rolled over. Too late to go crawling back now. He’d just shut the door in her face or turn her down.

She frowned and rubbed her temples, sitting up in bed. Best to check if she had her glasses for the morning. They were going to need to be in the air early.

She turned her light on and checked the night stand on her side of the bed. Nothing.

She checked the other bedside table with another little huff. Nothing.

Melinda laid back down and closed her eyes. She didn’t need her aviators. That was ridiculous. She certainly wasn’t going to get up and go get them. That would be pointless. She refused to let him win.

Melinda knocked on Ward’s door, her blanket slung over her shoulders. Ward opened the door after a few seconds pause in which she had time to rethink her life and choices—but not enough time to consider bolting.

“Mhm? Melinda?” he murmured. “Hi. It’s good to see you. Wasn’t sleeping. Don’t worry.”

Her heart ached as she exhaled. “Look…”

She trailed off and shook her head. “Hey. Did you take my aviators?”

“Huh? No,” Ward mumbled. “Dunno what you mean. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Melinda said. “I’ll look for them in the morning.”

She paused. “No point going back to my room, though. If…if I’m already here.”

“Oh, uh,” Ward said, shifting from foot to foot. “S-sure. Okay. Come…come in. Please.”

She stood on tip toe and kissed his nose. “Thank you.”

He swept her into his arms and held her close, putting her down on the bed and tucking her in underneath his covers. Melinda rolled over and pressed kisses into his neck, snuggling close and throwing her leg over his, pointedly keeping him in place.

“I’m sorry I didn’t want to stay before,” she murmured. “I do now. I promise.”

“I know you do,” Ward said, kissing her forehead. “I’m glad you wanted to stay, too.”

She kissed his face and closed her eyes, settling herself into position, nestled against him, warm and safe. Her entire body seemed to vibrate with the feeling of him, and it brought her a strange sense of peace. It felt right to tremble at his presence. Atoms were meant to vibrate; it was what kept them together.

She let him cup her cheek and kiss her hair, murmuring a soft little declaration of love in Cantonese. She mumbled something back in her mother tongue and felt him relax, holding her close and burying his face in her hair, closing his eyes as his breathing slowed. Eventually, their soft exhalations matched in rhythm, spiraling down and softening until they fell asleep.

Neither of them noticed the two pairs of aviators, stacked up neatly on the night-stand by Ward’s alarm clock.


End file.
